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Chamber brings SPLOST forum to Peachtree City next week

By J. FRANK LYNCH
jflynch@theCitizenNews.com

Now it’s Peachtree City’s turn.

The Fayette County Chamber of Commerce will hold the second of three public forums on November’s countywide transportation SPLOST initiative Tuesday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Peachtree City.

The first forum held in Fayetteville in August drew a sparse crowd, but a bigger turnout is expected in Peachtree City.

The Peachtree City Council will delay the start of a meeting until 8:30 p.m. Tuesday so members can attend the chamber forum.

Mayor Steve Brown has made an issue of the way the County Commission intends to divide up revenue should voters approve the 1-cent sales tax increase.

The commission passed a resolution in June sealing the details of the referendum, so debate about the specifics of the plan are moot at this point.

According to a chamber press release, the forum’s purpose is to “inform the public about the specifics of the County Transportation Plan.”

“Our key thing is we feel like it’s important that people really understand what exactly is in the transportation plan and that there is clarity on what exactly people are voting on,” said Chamber President Virginia Gibbs after the first forum in August.

“So our number one mission is to get back to the facts.”

If voters approve the SPLOST, it would raise an estimated $121 million over five years. The bulk of the revenue, 70 percent, would serve as seed money to fund the county’s long-range Comprehensive Transportation Plan. Among the top priorities in the plan is to build a bypass around Fayetteville’s eastside.

The remaining 30 percent would be split among the county’s five municipalities. Brown has said Peachtree City deserves more than that.

The speaker for the Sept. 14 forum is Ed Ellis, vice president of URS Corporation, the consulting firm that developed the long-range transportation plan for the county.

Chamber officials say Ellis will give an overview of how the plan was developed, and will provide information on the specific projects which are included.ÊA question and answer session will be held at the conclusion of the presentation.Ê

For more information, contact the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce at 770-461-9983.

A third and final forum is scheduled for Oct. 20 at Sams Auditorium in Fayetteville.